This morning we had a chrysalis in a dollar store bug catcher. 3 hours later a beautiful Monarch Butterfly is stretching it's wings on our patio table. I've never witnessed this live and in person. And complete with play by play updates courtesy of the girls. Life is full of miracles but it doesn't happen without participation. We wouldn't see this butterfly if not for the caterpillar that munched through untold milkweed leaves to nourish itself to get to this stage. I wonder what a caterpillar thinks about while it is in it's cocoon. Does it dream about flying or it's destination in Mexico?
I've been thinking a lot lately. Politics has been my passion but I have never flown. I've been munching through reams of data and opinions and need to decide if this is the time to stretch my wings.
Hmmm.
Cheers
Mit
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Life is one big flowchart
A hundred years ago it seems I took a night course on computers. I had to make a decision. Do I want to take a course on the new desktop computers or on how they work. Since this was a new field of education I asked the teacher. He said - The desktop computers are where it's at - more user friendly - ideal for business and getting better all the time. If you want to know how to use a computer - take the desk-top course. "BUT" he said, if you want to understand how they work, take my course and I'll teach you about flow charts and it will help you in more ways than you can imagine. Then he finished off his pitch with "Besides - you can figure out how to use them on your bosses nickel."
I bought the sales pitch and I remember about 8 bits and switches but that is about it. We then started making flow charts - Getting ready for work was the first one. We did a few others until we were bored and then he taught us about problem solving. Yes/No - Stop/Go etc. That was cool! Breaking down a problem in to bits was a way to "think it through" (Apollo 13 - Failure is not an option clip).
Then we learned about decisions. The teacher was a race car driver also and he taught others. He said racing was easy - keep the tires on the ground and go fast. Winning a one person race is easy but that is not how it's done. Shit happens! In racing Shit happens very fast! He said when you see a car spinning out in front of you, you don't know where it is going to go. Guess wrong and it's unpleasant. What he teaches his drivers in that situation is to aim where the car is because there is a good chance it won't be there when you get to that point. It's physics - an object in motion tends to remain in motion until acted upon by an opposing force. Common Sense?
He said computers are stupid - they just respond to inputs and sit there until the next one. He said humans can analyse a problem to death - create reams of print outs and fancy charts but until a decision is made they just sit there. Decisions are what gets things done and many humans tend to avoid making them, so if you want to succeed you have to drive straight towards the problem and he said 95% of the time you will find that the problem is no longer there.
So now I have to make a decision > Should I run for Mayor? It will be a 3 person race. Will platform trump popularity? Can I afford to run? Can I not afford to run? Yes/No>Stop/Go>>>> Life is one big flowchart! I'll let you know
Cheers
Mit
I bought the sales pitch and I remember about 8 bits and switches but that is about it. We then started making flow charts - Getting ready for work was the first one. We did a few others until we were bored and then he taught us about problem solving. Yes/No - Stop/Go etc. That was cool! Breaking down a problem in to bits was a way to "think it through" (Apollo 13 - Failure is not an option clip).
Then we learned about decisions. The teacher was a race car driver also and he taught others. He said racing was easy - keep the tires on the ground and go fast. Winning a one person race is easy but that is not how it's done. Shit happens! In racing Shit happens very fast! He said when you see a car spinning out in front of you, you don't know where it is going to go. Guess wrong and it's unpleasant. What he teaches his drivers in that situation is to aim where the car is because there is a good chance it won't be there when you get to that point. It's physics - an object in motion tends to remain in motion until acted upon by an opposing force. Common Sense?
He said computers are stupid - they just respond to inputs and sit there until the next one. He said humans can analyse a problem to death - create reams of print outs and fancy charts but until a decision is made they just sit there. Decisions are what gets things done and many humans tend to avoid making them, so if you want to succeed you have to drive straight towards the problem and he said 95% of the time you will find that the problem is no longer there.
So now I have to make a decision > Should I run for Mayor? It will be a 3 person race. Will platform trump popularity? Can I afford to run? Can I not afford to run? Yes/No>Stop/Go>>>> Life is one big flowchart! I'll let you know
Cheers
Mit
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